Time travel is one of the most loved topic by the science fiction and fantasy writers. The word Time Travel always fascinates every one, Imagine what it would be if you can travel through time. You can go back in time and meet your self as a child. you can go to the future and see how we will progress in the coming centuries.

Michael Crichton knows how to put forward the very complex ideas of time travel and quantum physics so that the normal reader can understand it. Michael Crichton always takes very specific and current events in the scientific world and blends them with our day-to-day life, in this case, very specific historical events, which are clearly researched and thoroughly presented. You can find plenty of references about the material he put forward in his novel at the end of his book as always.

Michael Crichton has contributed much to techno-thriller genre, people even call him father of techno-thriller genre. His novel like Jurassic Park, The Lost World brought him the world-wide fame. People always talk about the advantages of the technology, it may be genetics or quantum physics. They never talk about what will happen if these technology go wrong. In Jurassic Park he has shown what Genetics will do if we don’t use it wisely and same thing he has done in Timeline, this time the area is quantum physic.

Timeline is basically a blend of Ultra Modern Technology and Medieval warfare. The Combination of Medieval warfare and technology works great. I think the action sequences in this book are much more detailed like he is writing a actual film script not novel, detailing out every bit of the action. The only problem with the book is the character development. The few characters which are detailed too much never appear again in the book and the character who are critical to the plot never developed.

In an Arizona desert a man wanders in a daze, speaking words that make no sense. Within twenty-four hours he is dead, his body swiftly cremated by his only known associates. Halfway around the world archaeologists make a shocking discovery at a medieval site.

Suddenly they are swept off to the headquarters of a secretive multinational corporation that has developed an astounding technology. Now this group is about to get a chance not to study the past but to enter it. And with history opened to the present, the dead awakened to the living, these men and women will soon find themselves fighting for their very survival six hundred years ago.

Overall a interesting read which will teach you what Quantum Physic is and How one can achieve time travel at least in theory. I will recommend this book for techno-thriller and sci-fi fans.

Next is Techno Thriller Novel by Michael Crichton, This Novel is based on Genetic Technology and Genetic Research and it’s impact on the near future.

The main theme of this books is Genetic and the ethical issues involved the use of genetics. This book doesn’t have the single plot, it has loads of sub plots. In every subplot author introduces some character, those characters has something to do with genetics.

NeXt involves lots people from all the fields, like Scientist, Doctors, Lawyers, Teachers, Drivers, Guards, Kids and even Chimpanzees. In every plot author tried to show the impacts of genetic on the day to day life of a person, also in some plot he tried to show the advantages of genetics, like Growing artificial EAR, so that you don’t need a hearing machine.

Crichton is well known as father of techno-thriller novels, either it is Jurassic Park, Lost World or Timeline, you never put them down once you start reading his novels, but this novel is not like all other novels may be because the lack of story line.

While reading this novel, you will never feel like you are actually reading a novel, it is like reading a science book with many plots and example though some example given in this are hard to believe but still they will amaze you and don’t forgot he is the author who has given new life to the study of dinosaur after his ground breaking novel “Jurassic Park”.

The author presented some very good ideas, also raised the concerns about the owner ship of genes in courts and chaos involved with the ownership. This book will explore lots of unknown origins of genetic science, if you don’t know anything about genetics or know very little then this book is must for you if you are interested in genetics and biotechnology, it will serve both as novels as well as science book for you :).

“This novel is fiction, except for the parts that aren’t.” ~ Michael Crichton.

NeXt

Well, the story begins with Frank Burnet who contracted an aggressive form of leukemia and underwent treatment for four years, later he learns that checkups where setups for researching genetics basis of his cell which developed immune against leukemia. He later learns that his cells has been sold to BioGen, a biotechnology start up company which has taken patent on these cells. He then sues the university for selling the his cells without his knowledge and also sues BioGen for using his cell for commercial purpose.

In parallel, BioGen is developing a “maturity” gene. which BioGen developing for the control of irresponsible and addictive behavior. BioGen researcher Josh Winkler accidentally expose this gene to his drug-addictive brother Adam who is cured in few day and leaves the drugs and show maturity.

Some journalist discover some chimpanzees have been discovered which can speak french. A African grey parrot, Gerard, into which human genes were injected while he was a chick, can speak English and also mimic every sound. Gerard can solve the mathematics and he thinks he is a person not animal.

Henry Kendall, a researcher some Bio-tech company finds that his introduction of human genes into chimpanzees a few years ago, has resulted in transgenic chimp who can talk and has lots of hairs on his body like chimps.
Some artist uses genetic modification to change the appearance of animal, he changes the appearance of turtle which after genetic modification display the shining logo of Bio Technology company in night.
Human genome has around 32K genes and chimpanzees only differ in 500 genes from humans. Author also states that 5% of our genes are already owned by some bio-tech companies.

There are some plots in which a college girls sells her eggs for some bucks and there is one very interesting plot in which a doctor while in college donated his sperms to someone but after 20 years a girl appears claiming to be his daughter and accuses him fro her drug addiction and tells him that his whole family has the drug addiction gene which he transferred to her and she going to sue him for this.

At the end author gives some reference to the books which from which you can read more about biotechnology and genetics and gene therapy.Overall a very good read if know little about bio-tech and genetics.